Changes to the 17th Edition regulations

Amendment 3 of the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations have been issued (as of the 1st January 2015).

Although the changes have been issued; the amendments do not come into force until July 2015. You can be sure that our 17th Edition Wiring Regulations course will give you the information you need to make sure your knowledge is up to date.

We’ll be providing details of the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations Amendment 3 over the coming weeks. As a starter for ten, here are just some of the changes electricians need to be aware of:

Cables in the wall:

Cables concealed in a wall or partition at a depth of less than 50 mm need to be protected by a 30 mA RCD if other methods of protection, including the use of cables with either an earthed metallic covering or mechanical protection, are not employed. There will still be an exception for cables that form part of a SELV or PELV circuit.

New section – 557: Auxiliary Circuits

A new section, 557, covering auxiliary circuits for low voltage electrical installations, has been included. Auxiliary circuits are defined as circuits for the transmission of signals intended for the detection, supervision or control of the functional status of a main circuit, such as circuits for control, signalling and measurement. Auxiliary circuits for fire and intruder alarms, traffic lights, etc. (where specific standards exist) are excluded.

Sections 559, 714 and 715: Luminaires and Lighting Installations

Amendment 3 introduces a number of changes to align the BS 7671 requirements with the both latest IEC and CENELEC standards. Examples of these intended changes include:

Moving the requirements for outdoor lighting and extra-low voltage lighting installations from Section 559 to two new sections, Section 714 and Section 715;

Requirements for the type of devices that are to be used for the connection of luminaires to the supply and the protection of cables against heat and UV radiation effects within luminaires; and

Introduction of the requirements for protection against electric shock for display stand for luminaires.